One Simple Change to Your Morning Commute Will Make You a Happier Person

Next time someone tries to
talk to you during your commute, don't turn up the volume on your music
and ignore them.

Instead, try giving conversation a chance - at least
that's what a recent study performed at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business indicates you should do.

According to their findings, talking to other people during your daily commute actually makes you happier.

The science

Researchers split groups of
participating mass transit commuters into two groups: one that was
instructed to communicate with people and one that was instructed to
stay isolated.

The researchers noted the results were the
opposite of what the commuters expected. The group asked to be talkative
expected to enjoy their commute less and the group asked to be silent
and distant expected to enjoy their commute more.

According to the study, this is most likely
explained by the predilection toward solitude "stem[ming] partly from
underestimating others' interest in connecting, which in turn keeps
people from learning the actual consequences of social interaction."

So basically, we want to connect with other
people, but we're afraid that nobody else wants to. This prevents us
from reaching out and learning how enriching conversation and emotional
connections can be.

As the study notes, "human beings are social
animals. Those who misunderstand the consequences of social interactions
may not, in at least some contexts, be social enough for their own
well-being."

The takeaway

Americans took 10.7 billion trips
on public transportation last year, the highest number in over half a
century. It's not hard to believe most of those trips were silent,
isolated journeys with people packed into subway cars or buses, idly
staring at the floor instead of talking to one another.

In a society
where depression and other mood disorders are constantly on the rise, talking to another person even for just a few minutes could be a ray of light in an otherwise drab day. Take your headphones off. Put the book away. Talk to someone.